Wildflower - {lashton au}

Aquilegia (Columbine).

"Well thank God I never put those in a bouquet for my mother!"

Ashton turned to look at Luke with narrowed eyes and turned up lips. "On what occasion would you put wolfsbane in a bouquet for your mother, anyhow?"

"Well," Luke continued with a light laugh, "definitely no occasion now! Wolfsbane really means 'hate?' I would have never known."

"Of course you wouldn't have," Ashton said with a soft smile. "You only really need to know that it kills werewolves."

Luke rolls his eyes, gently nudging Ashton as they continue their walk through Harrison Park. "Oh," he said gently, "what about your new tattoo? What did you wind up getting?"

Ashton sighed gently, shaking his head. "They wouldn't let me get it done," he said with a light eye roll.

Luke furrowed his brows. "Why not? You're of age, aren't you?"

Ashton looked at Luke, trying to bypass the curiosity in his eyes. "Yeah," he started, his brain scrambling to think of an reason. "I, uh. I hadn't had anything to eat that day. It was a big piece, and they were afraid I'd pass out or something, so they told me to come back another time."

Luke nodded, taking Ashton's excuse. "Makes sense," he said. "I'll go with you to the rescheduled appointment, if you want."

Ashton smiled. "I'd like that."

Luke smiled bashfully. "Thank you for telling me about the flowers, by the way. I know it sounds really weird, a fully grown man wanting to know about the meanings of flowers and stuff."

Ashton looked at Luke with curious eyes. "Why would it be weird?"

Luke flushed softly, scratching the back of his neck. "I don't know," he said. "It doesn't seem.. gay?"

Ashton stopped short, looking at Luke with a raised eyebrow. "Flowers are gay now, Hemmings?"

Luke flushed deeper, looking down at his feet. "No," he said softly. "I just. I don't want you to see me as weak or whatever and I just-"

"Slow down there, Blondie," Ashton said as he put his hands on Luke's shoulders. "Listen to me. What you like doesn't define who you are, and who you are doesn't define what you should like. So you want to know about flowers? It doesn't make you gay. And if you are gay, it doesn't mean you should feel bad for liking things that stereotype to gay people. You are who you are, and you like what you like. No shame in that."

Luke looked at Ashton with fixated eyes. This was twice now that Ashton's words have absolutely floored him into silence. Luke didn't really know how to form words at this point, or how to say anything in the immediate range of intelligence of Ashton's words, so he did the only thing his brain was screaming at him to do.

He hugged him. He took the smaller, curly haired boy into his arms and hugged him like his life depended on it.

Ashton chuckled a bit, but took the hug in stride and wrapped his arms around Luke as well, rubbing his back gently. "Don't ever be afraid to be who you are," he said softly. "Life is too short."

———

"Spill the tea, Hemmings."

Luke rolled his eyes at Crystal's words as he typed away on his computer. "What is it with all of you calling me by my last name?" He rolled his chair away from his desk slightly to look up at the blonde haired girl hanging over the cubicle wall. "I do have a first name, you know."

Crystal nodded. "Yeah," she started, "but then I'd have to think about Luke Wilson more than I'd like to, and it's a whole ordeal. I'd rather not."

Luke rolled his eyes again, even more dramatically than the last time. "What do you mean 'spill the tea?'"

Crystal narrowed her eyes at him before smiling softly. "You look happier," she deadpanned, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Luke felt himself blush, trying desperately to hide it. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Crystal's eyes widened and she stood up completely, her mouth opening wide as she smiled. "You saw the flower boy again!"

Luke looked around, standing up as well to put a hand over Crystal's mouth. "Can you keep your voice down, please?" She nodded gently and Luke removed his hand, shaking his head. "Yes, okay? I saw him yesterday after you all left the coffee shop," he said, a hint of a smile on his lips.

Crystal couldn't help the soft squeal that left her lips as she leaned over the cubicle and hugged Luke to her. "Luke, that's so great," she mused, rubbing his back before pulling away. "Did you guys talk? Did you get his phone number this time?"

"I did, actually," he said softly, "and no, you can't meet him yet. You will scare him away, and I shan't have that yet."

"First off," Crystal started, holding up her hand, "don't ever say the word 'shan't' again. Gross. Second, I'm totally offended by you thinking that I would scare this boy away."

Luke gave her a pointed look, but shook his head anyway.

"What does he look like?"

Luke smiled slightly, pulling out his phone. "I actually took a selfie of us yesterday," he said, going into his photos and selecting the picture of him and Ashton.

Crystal leaned over the wall as her eyes scanned the photo. "Luke," she cooed softly, "he's so cute! He looks kind of familiar.."

Luke raised an eyebrow at her. "Yeah?"

She nodded gently, looking closer at the photo. "I don't know," she said, waving her hand, "maybe I've seen him somewhere. But Luke! He's super cute!"

Luke smiled, looking at the photo again. "Yeah," he said softly. "Yeah, he is."

Crystal then shoved Luke by his shoulder, making him look at her wide eyed and confused. "Ask him out!"

Luke closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. "Ma'am," he started, "first off, don't push me with your skeleton hands. Second, I don't even know if he's into guys."

"So ask him!" Her voice came out somewhat shrill as she whisper-shouted at him like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Luke looked at her with the just unamused face he could muster. "Yes," he said, voice monotone and low. "It's totally that simple."

Crystal rolled her eyes and sat back down at her chair as she saw Mr. Byrne headed toward their section. "You are hopeless."

Luke sat back down in his chair as well, pushing a hand through his hair. He will admit, Ashton is a very attractive man. Not to mention, he's also incredibly sweet. He's more intelligent and well spoken than anyone he's ever known. Words flow from him like water from a natural spring, drowning Luke in their honesty and surrounding him in comfort. And yet, Crystal's words were the ones that were hanging over him the most right now.

Was he hopeless?